The Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation) is deeply troubled by news that numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) have been terminated without substantive explanation.
The Federation, which represents 56 state and territorial humanities councils, affirms the vital importance of the humanities and the arts and the critical role federal funding plays in making cultural programming accessible to all Americans.
“The Federation opposes these cuts to vital community organizations–museums, libraries, theaters–that sustain us and make the places we live vibrant and healthy,” explained Phoebe Stein, Federation President. “In addition, the multiplier effect of federal funding for culture on other investments means a potentially devastating impact for the cultural sector.”
These grant cancellations at the National Endowment for the Arts come just one month after the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency in early April terminated more than 1,400 of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ open grants, many of which were projects-in-progress and simply awaiting reimbursement for funds already expended, and just hours after the Trump administration released a 2026 budget proposal that would eliminate all funding for NEH, NEA, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and other federal agencies that support culture and the arts.
The humanities and the arts each play important roles in creating thriving and connected communities where Americans can thrive. The Federation urges you to contact your representatives and speak up for federal funding for the humanities, libraries, humanities councils, and the arts.
